I stood among the mourners at the funeral, my eyes went over the varied faces in the large crowd. Who would've thought that my mother's death would bring so many people in one place? The mourners, many of them my mother's colleagues I've never met, were the most visibly affected for an unknown reason to me. Their faces were covered with grief, eyes reddened from unshed tears, and hands clutching tissue to dab at their eyes.

Close family friends, which weren't many, huddled together, their expressions reflecting an overwhelming sense of loss, and a pinch of boredom. The same faces when my father died, but this time more emotional. The reason behind that was that people were talking, someone spilled the beans, and now everyone in the town knew how she died. Which meant that everyone in the town knew that The Crow was probably back.

My friends from school appeared to be very bored. I overheard Timmy asking his father if he could get a peek at the body, to see if she really has no eyes. They didn't want to be here, even I didn't want to be here, but they were forced to come by their parents to show something of close community support towards my grandmother and me. They were only making things worse, with their chatter about some stupid stuff, they would even sometimes burst into quiet laughter amid the grief, instead of support they only showed that they didn't respect me at all.

The funeral began with a somber hymn, the mournful notes of the organ filling the air. It was, of course, the same church where my father's funeral had taken place, and everything looked the same.

As the priest stepped forward to the pulpit, his voice resonated through the church. He spoke of my mother's kindness, her dedication to her work, and her love for her family. The eulogy was touching, but I knew that he used the same speech for everyone, and that made it less special.

The attendees listened in silence, and the hymn that followed the eulogy felt like a collective sigh. Everyone joined their voices in a melancholic chorus. After the hymn, a few of my mother's colleagues shared their memories, praising her as a dedicated professional and a dear friend. Their stories painted a picture of a woman I had known, but perhaps never fully understood.

The priest concluded the service with a final prayer, and as the familiar words echoed in the hushed church, I couldn't help but notice how Isaac left the church earlier. I didn't even notice when he entered.

My attention stayed fixed on Isaac's departure. As the priest's voice droned on, I couldn't shake off a bad feeling I had, something was amiss. My mind was filled with unsettling possibilities. Was he involved in my mother's death? Could he know something I didn't? He did confess that he helps him, so maybe he knows something after all.

The funeral continued, each passing moment stretching on as I wrestled with my suspicions. While the eulogies painted a picture of a loving and dedicated mother, the questions that swirled in my mind cast a shadow over the proceedings. Isaac's early leaving was conspicuous, a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit into the larger picture.

Once the final prayer was offered, people began to leave the church. My so-called friends from school were among the first to exit, their boredom evident as they couldn't wait to escape this melancholic atmosphere.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Go find Isaac, he was here," I whispered to Theo.

He just nodded without any questions and pulled Leigh by her sleeve leaving the church. By the time I was free to go and join in the search for Isaac, my grandmother gave me a small box.

"Give this to Fater Benedict, as a thank you for being so kind."

I set off towards his office. As I walked through the quiet halls, I overheard a strange conversation between two people, one of them being Father Benedict.

"Didn't I tell you not to speak about that here?" He tried to be as quiet as possible but the nice voice from moments ago was gone and you could hear anger in his voice this time. "What if someone sees you?"

"So what? Soon I will come out." the other voice said.

"You think that is a good idea now? It would be the end of both of us!"

"I don't care, we already talked about this."

I approached his door closer so I could sneak a peek.

"I don't know if I can go through with it." Father Benedict lowered his voice.

"You have no choice, I've already decided."

My footsteps caused the old wooden floor to squeak and groan beneath me. There was no going back, so I acted as if I hadn't overheard anything and knocked at the door.

After a moment I heard from the other side of the door: "Come in."

Carefully I entered the room, trying to act normal. Father Benedict was sitting at his desk, sweat forming on his forehead. His gaze shifted nervously at me.

"Adrian," he greeted me, his voice trembling ever so slightly. "What brings you here."

I held up the small box my grandmother had given me. "This is from my grandmother, as a token of appreciation for your support."

I looked around like I was interested in the room, but what I was interested in was that only two of us were in the room. Who was he talking with?

Father Benedict reached out to accept the box, but his eyes never left mine. The room felt charged with tension. As I turned to leave, still pretending I hadn't overheard the conversation, Father Benedict remained seated at his desk, his behavior growing more suspicious by the second. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was more to this story than met the eye, and my trust in the people around me continued to crumble.

I was eager to find Theo and Leigh, who had gone in search of Isaac, hoping they might help me think of something about the conversation I overheard. The corridors of the church, now that everyone had left, remained eerily quiet, with the dim lighting casting long shadows on the walls, making the place feel more like a crypt than a place of worship.

Finally, I reached the entrance of the church, where Theo and Leigh had returned with no sign of Isaac.

"It is as if he had vanished into thin air." Theo shrugged.

"Never mind him now, I overheard Father Benedict in a weird conversation with someone, but when I entered the room no one was there, he was the only person inside the room."

Theo and Leigh looked at each other like they always did when they heard something unreasonable.

"You mean he was talking to himself?" Leigh looked confused.

"No, I heard him and someone else, a familiar voice but I can't connect it with a face right now. But there were definitely two men inside, and when I entered only one remained."

"Can there be a day when something normal will happen, just once?" The two of them looked tired, this investigation of ours was definitely taking a toll on them.

I couldn't blame them for their weariness; the town held dark and hidden truths, and even I had a giant secret looming above my head. It was up to us, the young investigators, to bring the secrets to light. But that night as the night settled in and the eerie silence surrounded me, I couldn't escape the unsettling feeling that we were drawing close to something more sinister and dangerous than we had ever imagined. Maybe The Crow was hunting in packs this time. What if there were more enemies around us than we can expect? What will happen to us then?